Hand Powered Treadmill

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to a novel treadmill with a practical hand-powered system to replace electric motor for driving the tread belt. The hand-powered system includes fixed range movement of both handles, cranks coupling system for two handles, and cyclic spring or magnetic energy store and release system to help pass each handle&#39;s dead spot. Handle&#39;s pivotal and reciprocal movement can be smoothly and efficiently converted to tread belt&#39;s movement.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to fitness equipment, more specifically, relates to treadmills used for walking and running exercise. The invention relates to a new concept treadmill with hand-powered system to help move tread belt to make manual treadmill fit all needs for running and walking exercise efficiently and safely.

BACKGROUND

Current treadmills can be divided into two categories: motorized and non-motorized treadmill (or called manual treadmill). For motorized treadmill, user needs to adjust treadmill's speed to the desired speed. User must walk or run fast or increase the incline of tread base to gain more intensive exercise. For many users, increasing the speed or incline may hurt their knees and even jeopardize users' safety. More than 50 people were killed by treadmill accidents in USA for the last 20 years. There are about 24,000 treadmill accidents sent to emergency room in USA each year. Treadmill injure consistent of 40% total indoor fitness equipment injures sent to emergency room.

As for the regular manual/non-motorized treadmill, because the frictional resistance between the tread belt and the foot board's upper surface needs to be overcomed by user, it's difficult to reach the desired speed without significantly increasing the incline of the tread base. In most case, increasing the incline of the tread base is the only option for higher intensity workout. It's very difficult to reach the anticipated running speed for current non-motorized treadmills, therefore it significantly limited the usage of the non-motorized treadmills. To make the non-motorized treadmill reaching desired workout intensity and well controlling speed by user at the same time is the biggest challenge. Numerous researches have been done since the treadmills became most popular fitness equipment, but no significant breakthrough has been made so far.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a novel treadmill with a unique hand-powered system comprising of two handles connected to the drive train in pivotal and reciprocal movement to smoothly transfer the power from user's hands to the tread belt. In order to generate a smooth and constant drive force, cyclic energy storing and releasing system and reciprocal handle coupling system with a pair of cranks are used in the drive train. Also, speed transmission system is used to drive the tread belt to fit the user's pace. Handles will be moved pivotally by push and pull force from user's hands directly applied on upper ends of both handles. A pair of cranks are used to transfer each handle's pivotal movement to a rotary movement and to couple both handles in reciprocal and opposite movement. Since handles move slowly in most case, the flywheel doesn't have enough energy to pass dead spots, therefore the unique cyclic energy storing and releasing device for passing dead spots of both handles is used in this invention. The present invention is the first practical hand drive treadmill that can fully replace motorized treadmills. It can be used for full body exercise with fast calories burning.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

An embodiment of the present invention is illustrated as example and are not limited by the figures of accompanying drawing.

FIGS. 1-5 is one aspect of the treadmill with reciprocal fixed range movement handles.

The FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the treadmill with reciprocal fixed range movement handles.

FIG. 2 is an enlargement of perspective view of the drive train of the FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a rear view of the FIG. 1, View B.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the FIG. 1, View C.

FIG. 5 is a side view of the FIG. 1, View D.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure is to be considered as an embodiment of the present invention, and is not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiments illustrated by the figures or description below.

In FIGS. 1-5, the manual treadmill with basic structure such as base 40, foot board frame 41, front tread belt shaft 31, rear tread belt shaft 39, flywheels 24 and 32, and endless tread belt 30. The hand-powered system includes upper handles 1, 36, lower handles 4, 33, cranks 2, 34, crank connectors 3, 35, the first shaft 13, dead spot overcoming flywheel 11, the first chainwheel 12, the first chain 15, the first tension wheel 14, recovery arm 9 with recovery wheel 8 in the middle, the cam 7 on its axle 13 pushed by the coil spring 5 via recovery wheel 8, the second chainwheel 16 on the second shaft 17, gear 19 on the second shaft 17, gear 20 on the third shaft 18, universal joint 21, connector 22, the forth shaft 23, the third chainwheel 25, the second chain 26, the second tension wheel 27, freewheeling chainwheel 29 on the front tread belt shaft 31. The coupling system for two handles and the transmission system between handles and the tread belt shaft can be called drive train here. Also, the treadmill frame comprises treadmill foot board frame and the treadmill base.

The lower handles 4 and 33 are connected to the upper handles 1 and 36 respectively. Drive train frame 47 is mounted on the foot board frame 41. The lower ends of lower handles 4 and 33 are connected to the drive train frame 47 via hinges 37 and 38 respectively. Bearings or other rotational joints can also be used to replace hinges here. The user pushes and pulls each handle 1 and handle 36 alternatively, drives the first shaft 13 that with overrunning clutch 42 on it to allow the first shaft 13 to rotate only in one direction. Cranks 2, 34 and crank connectors 3, 35 are used to connect lower handles 4, 33 to each end of the first shaft 13. The first chain 15 links the first chainwheel 12 to the second chainwheel 16, and further rotates the second shaft 17 to make the third shaft 18 to rotate reversely via the gear 19 and gear 20. The universal joint 21 is used to connect the third shaft 18 to the connector 22 and forth shaft 23. The third chainwheel 25 is connected to the forth shaft 23. The second chain 26 connects the third chainwheel 25 together with the freewheeling chainwheel 29. The second tension wheel 27 and spring 28 are used to adjust the tightness of the second chain 26. The front tread belt shaft 31 is rotated by the second chain 26 via the freewheeling chainwheel 29. User's hands power the treadmill's tread belt only if the freewheeling chainwheel 29 rotates fast than the front tread belt shaft 31. Therefore, the tread belt can coast without the power from the handles. The power from user's hands help the tread belt to move at the desired speed. Freewheel and overrunning clutch can be replaced by each other, also chainwheel and chain can be replaced by belt wheel and belt here.

FIGS. 1-5 show the hand powered treadmill with reciprocal fixed range handle movement. Each cycle of the handle movement is fixed. That means user needs to push or pull each handle to the maximum range before user can change the movement direction of the handle. This will rotate the first shaft 13. User's left-hand pushes handle 1 forwards and causes the handle 36 to move backwards, vice versa. Therefore, one hand pushes and the other hand pulls at the same time and then switch the direction after passing each handle's dead spot can generate consistent drive force. Overrunning clutch 42 can prevent the first shaft 13 rotate in the wrong direction. When the first shaft 13 rotates, the cam 7 will rotate together and push against the recovery wheel 8 to make the recovery arm 9 swing back and forth around shaft 6. The cam 7 is symmetric elongation shape with smooth outside surface for recovery wheel 8 to contact and slide on it. The cam 7 is fixed on shaft 13 and rotates with shaft 13. The coil spring 5 pulls the recovery arm 9 to make the recovery wheel 8 always push against the cam 7. The push force of the recovery wheel 8 against cam 7 depends on its distance between the wheel 8 and shaft 13. The more the distance, the longer the coil spring 5, therefore the more push force. When the cam 7 rotates, the recovery wheel 8 will reach the longest point of cam 7. After that point, the recovery wheel 8 will help the cam 7 to rotate by releasing the stored energy form coil spring 5, therefore help the handles pass their dead spots. Magnetic or other devices that can store and release energy like the spring can also be used here. At dead spots, the handle driving force on the shaft 13 is zero. In most setting, the dead spots are where handles 1 and 36 reaches their rearmost or foremost positions, or the points each handle starts to change its movement direction. The recovery wheel 8 reaches the longest point of cam 7 a little before the dead spot for most efficiently releasing the stored spring energy to pass the dead spot. The stored energy starts to release a little before the dead spot in each cycle. Flywheel is not very useful for storing energy to pass the dead spot at low rotary speed. An auto or manual speed transmission system can also be used in the drive train to change the gear ratio for different running/walking pace and speed. FIGS. 1-5 show the treadmill with rug endless belt, but this invention can be used on slat endless belt and any other tread belts. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A human powered fitness equipment having a frame and at least one rotary member mounted within the frame, comprising: manual drive means for driving the rotary member; means for partly store manual drive energy and release the energy in each drive cycle to help pass the dead spots of the manual drive; means for transferring the power from user to a single direction rotary power output; wherein said manual drive means comprises a pair of pedals or first and second handles, a drive train receiving manual power from said a pair of pedals or first and second handles and transferring said manual power to single direction rotary output power.
 2. human powered fitness equipment according to claim 1, wherein said a pair of pedals are on a pair of cranks, wherein said first and second handles coupled in reciprocal movement by a pair of cranks, said first handle moving in one direction causes said second handle to move in opposite direction.
 3. A hand powered treadmill according to claim 1, wherein said drive train further comprises cyclic energy store and release system storing energy from each pedal or handle's strike cycle and releasing the energy to pass the dead spot of pedal or handle's movement of each cycle.
 4. A hand powered treadmill having a frame and an endless tread belt mounted within the frame, comprising: manual drive means for transferring the power from user to a single direction rotary power output for driving the endless tread belt to provide a moving exercise surface; means for partly store manual drive energy and release the energy in each drive cycle to help pass the dead spots of the manual drive; wherein said manual drive means comprises first and second handles moving pivotally, a drive train receiving manual power from said first and second handles and transferring said manual power to single direction rotary output power and further moving said endless tread belt.
 5. A hand powered treadmill according to claim 4, wherein said first and second handles coupled in reciprocal movement by a pair of cranks, said first handle moving in one direction causes said second handle to move in opposite direction.
 6. A hand powered treadmill according to claim 4, wherein said drive train further comprises cyclic energy store and release system, storing energy from each handle's strike cycle and releasing the energy to pass the dead spot of handle's movement of each cycle, said drive train further comprises at least one overrunning clutch or freewheel to ensure single direction rotation and to transport said rotary output power to move said endless tread belt.
 7. A hand powered treadmill having a frame and an endless tread belt mounted within the Frame, comprising: first and second handles coupled in reciprocal fixed range movement by a pair of cranks on two ends of a shaft; cyclic energy store and release device to store energy from the movement of the said first and second handles and further release the energy to help passing the dead spots of said first and second handles for smooth driving; a drive train to transfer power from said first and second handles to the said endless tread belt.
 8. A hand powered treadmill with claim 7, wherein said drive train comprising: at least one overrunning clutch or freewheel to ensure single direction rotation and to transport power to said endless tread belt; a coupling device to couple said first and the second handles together in reciprocal fixed range movement, reversing the movement direction of said first and second handles only can be done after said first and second handles passing the point of maximum movement range, matching the rearmost and frontmost point of said first and second handles, normally the dead spots of the handles.
 9. A hand powered treadmill with claim 8, wherein said coupling device for said first and second handles to achieve said reciprocal fixed range movement comprising a pair of cranks on two ends of first shaft to couple said first and said second handles moving in opposite direction, and at least one overrunning clutch or freewheel on the said first shaft to accomplish single direction rotation on the first shaft, said first and second handles pivotally mounted on said frame and said crank linked to said each handle.
 10. A hand powered treadmill with claim 7, wherein said cyclic energy store and release device comprising: a rotary cam; a spring or magnetic enforced wheel engaged with said rotary cam to help said first and second handles passing dead spots by spring or magnetic energy stored from said rotary cam movement;
 11. A hand powered treadmill having a frame and an endless tread belt mounted within the frame, comprising: first and second handles mounted on the said frame pivotally; a drive train mounted on said frame to transfer the power from said first and second handles to said endless tread belt, said drive train comprising: first shaft with first crank on one end and second crank on the other end of said first shaft, said first crank connected to said first handle and said second crank connected to said second handle, coupling said handles moving reciprocally and opposingly to each other; spring to store and release energy for passing said first and second handle's dead spots, said spring connected to a rotary arm, a cam fixed on said first shaft pushes said rotary arm to stores the energy in the said spring for later rotates the first shaft to pass the dead spots of said first and second handles; a transmission to transfer said first shaft's rotation to desired rotation speed to move said endless trad belt in a right speed range to match user's walk or running pace; and at least one overrunning clutch or freewheel to transport the power to said endless belt;
 12. A hand powered treadmill with claim 11, wherein said drive train further comprising: a cam engaged spring for storing energy to help handles pass the dead spots; spring enforced rotation arm with wheel engaged with said cam; at least one overrunning clutch or freewheel on said first shaft; and at least one overrunning clutch or freewheel used to transfer power to one shaft of said endless tread belt. 